


Morning

by FantasiPDF



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Introspection, M/M, POV Fjord, Post-Canon, Reflection, Retirement, ish, its soft yall, this is for Oaky for the wf server’s secret Santa!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:54:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21941734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FantasiPDF/pseuds/FantasiPDF
Summary: Fifteen years after saving the world, Fjord and Caleb take a moment for themselves.
Relationships: Fjord/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 2
Kudos: 66





	Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Happy holidays Oaky!!! I’m really happy to have participated in the widofjord server’s secret Santa event, I hope this is to your liking!

If you’d asked a younger Fjord where he thought he’d be in fifteen years, chances are he wouldn’t be able to come up with an answer. He might mutter something about retiring or a seaside cottage, but he could never quite make up his mind. Fifteen years ago, he was on the road, finally with some amount of purpose; a goal to achieve and a family to count on, for the first time in his life. Fifteen years ago, after Molly, long after Vandren, death was a daily threat. Fifteen years ago, he learned to ask for help. And, fifteen years ago, he fell in love.

If you’d asked him, it wasn’t love. It was affection; and he felt affection for every member of their dysfunctional family. To be fair, he loved all of them as well, but it can be hard to put a finger on the difference between love, affection, and everything in-between. At first, he didn’t know what to do with himself. He’s always been charismatic to his core, but he found himself stumbling over Caleb in the stupidest of circumstances. Without even realizing it, he began piling gifts and attention on the man. A book here, a spell there, a reassuring hand on his shoulder, an offer to speak privately if he ever needed to.

Fifteen years ago, Fjord didn’t realize he was in love, but fifteen years later, that doesn’t matter.

Now, he has his seaside cottage. He has a warm bed, a warm figure to share it with, and a warm cat that only sometimes triggers his allergies. Their adventuring years behind them, Caleb has taken the opportunity to make up for decades of lost rest. Every morning he sleeps in, and Fjord allows himself to watch. He watches the slow rise and fall of the other man’s chest, the lazy tangles of his long hair, the occasional twitch or muttering in his sleep.

As a child, he was alone, an orphan shunned by society, left to fend for himself in a cold, uncaring world. As a man, he is a husband, a brother, an uncle, and a hero. Retirement had seemed like a pipe dream, all those years ago. Unachievable, something to reach for but not to touch. He really couldn’t believe his luck. In the loveliest way, he’s made it.

The sunlight seeps in through the sheer curtains, softly illuminating the man before him. His face, unshaven but clean, is pressed into his pillow, facing the man he chose to spend the rest of his life with. His hand, scarred and ink-stained has come to rest over Fjord’s waist, the light weight a comforting and grounding presence. Frumpkin is asleep at the foot of the bed, purring quietly, his orange fur shifting with each breath.

Fjord doesn’t know how long he’s been awake— it could be seconds or hours— all he knows is the body next to his. He’s spent years memorizing its shape, it’s contours, it’s blemishes and perfections. But even after all this time, he still finds new things to fall in love with every morning. The slight crookedness to his nose, the tiny freckle next to the corner of his mouth, the gentle fluttering of his eyelashes every now and then. The sun is rising— or maybe it already rose— but Fjord thinks he could do without the sun, so long as he has Caleb with him to provide light.

He’s been through so much, they both have, but the chance to be soft, to love and be loved, is not a chance they intend to waste. For the rest of their lives, they will be happy, not by luck but by necessity. They will make breakfast and lunch and dinner, they will eat and sleep together, and just to spite all that tried to make it not so, they will be happy. It just so happens that now, happiness comes naturally to them. It comes in the glances across the room, the murmurs of adoration, the loud laughter when out with their family. They’ve both allowed themselves to be unhappy, resentful, angry, for so long that happiness feels like something brand new and precious, every day. To people that lost years of their lives to pain and suffering, this is an act of rebellion, a fierce contradiction to what they thought they deserved, all that time.

Slowly, Caleb blinks his eyes open. He’s backlit by the sun over the sea, his ginger hair becoming a golden halo around his head. Before he’s even fully awake, he makes eye contact with Fjord, smiling blearily and lazily. The arm at his waist tightens, and his eyes fall shut again as he shoves himself into the half-orc’s chest. His stubble is scratchy, his hair a mess, and he’s the most beautiful thing that Fjord has ever seen. He runs gentle hands along the skin of the other man’s neck and back, tracing the familiar terrain as if it were brand new to him. Moments like this are not uncommon, but cherished nonetheless. 

Fjord tangles his fingers into Caleb’s hair, rubbing tiny circles into the man’s scalp. Caleb makes a soft, involuntary noise against Fjord’s chest, and grumbles incoherently about being woken up so early. Eventually, he pushes himself off of the other man, stretching like a cat, his joints popping loudly. Blearily, he sits himself up, staring at Fjord for a moment before reaching to the foot of the bed to scratch his fluffy familiar behind his ears. The cat lets out a soft “mrrp” in response. He situates himself into a cross-legged position, stretching his arms again, now uninhibited by sheets and pillows.

He’s wearing a large shirt, possibly one of Fjord’s, and the light linen bunches up around his hips, the sunlight making it glow. He keeps his eyes closed for a few more moments. Before rubbing at them and forcing them open. He blinks down at Fjord, and a soft smile once again overtakes his features. Reaching out a calloused hand, he grabs Fjord’s playing with his fingers for now particular reason. Like this, they are unhurried. It has taken them so long to get to this point, to lose their sense of urgency, the looming feeling of time running out at any moment. Right now, they don’t worry about time. All that exists is the sheets, the pillows, and the bodies. All else is irrelevant.

Finally, Fjord pushes himself up as well, facing his husband. He intertwines his fingers with the other man’s, leaning forward to place a light kiss on his cheek. Stifling a yawn, he rests his head on Caleb’s shoulder. He lets out a content sigh.

“Breakfast?” Caleb murmurs, gentle in the morning light.

“Breakfast,” Fjord confirms. And everything is lovely.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr @fantaasi or @dicendungeons


End file.
